


Missing

by theoofoof



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Angst, Case fic (kinda), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Barson, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Kidnapping, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2020-04-06 20:33:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19070158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoofoof/pseuds/theoofoof
Summary: When a kidnapping case hits too close to home for the SVU squad, how will they deal with it and what impact will it have?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to my recently posted Barson fic, 'New Beginnings', but it's not necessary to read that to understand this (although I'd love it if you did). 
> 
> My first time writing Rollisi (as a main ship) - I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Sonny Carisi glanced at his watch as he pulled up outside Amanda’s building. It was early enough that Jesse should still be awake, although it would be touch and go for Billie, she was often asleep by now. He’d been working long hours recently and that, coupled with some family things he’d had going on, meant he’d not had much time recently to spend with the two girls he viewed as surrogate daughters.

He picked up the bag of Chinese food from the passenger seat and got out of the car, wondering what games Jesse would co-opt him into tonight. Her new favourite was unicorns and princesses, much to Amanda’s dismay. Pink and glitter were two words not really in the southern detective’s vocabulary. But she indulged her daughter while hoping that she would grow out of the phase quickly. Sonny hoped so too. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could take wearing a sparkly pink tiara as Jesse served him tea from her unicorn-decorated tea set. Especially since Amanda had snuck a photo of him last time, threatening to post it on Facebook. If his sisters saw it, he’d never hear the end of it.

He spotted someone coming out of the front door of the building and rushed to catch it before it closed; it would save Amanda from having to buzz him in if she was busy putting Billie to bed. He jogged up the stairs, eager to see his three favourite people, and let himself in with the key she had given him when she had moved into her new place just after Billie was born. It was bigger, meaning the girls could each have their own room and Amanda could have her own space. There was also the added bonus that the living room wasn’t overrun with all their things. It was great not to have to share the couch with Jesse’s stuffed animal collection when he and Amanda hung out watching bad reality TV.

“’Manda, I’m here.” He stepped over some toys and bent, picking up a few of them. The sound of Billie’s cries reached his ears immediately so, figuring Amanda was busy settling her, he turned his attention to Jesse.

“Hey, Jess,” he called over the noise, “I brought Chinese food, you wanna come help set the table?”

Sonny didn’t spot her in the living room or kitchen, but her favourite DVD was playing on the TV. He put the take-out bag on the counter and headed down the hall to the bedrooms. Standing in the doorway to Jesse’s empty bedroom, Sonny’s brows drew together in confusion. Amanda didn’t normally allow Jesse to be in Billie’s room at bedtime for the simple reason that the baby would not go to sleep if her big sister was around. Instead, she would want to play. Jesse would usually sit watching something on the TV until Amanda was finished.

Stepping back his gaze quickly swept the hallway. On the other side of Billie’s partially open door, he spied a pair of familiar legs sprawled out.

“Amanda!” Sonny rushed to open the door but Amanda’s body was blocking it. Taking a deep breath in, he slid through the gap into the door and fell to his knees beside her.

He hair was obscuring her face and was matted on the side facing him. He could feel his heart in his throat and his stomach knot tightly. There was a visible tremor in his hand as he reached out and shook her shoulder gently. “Amanda…” She moaned at his touch and Sonny thought it was quite possibly the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

Billie was pitching in fit in her crib, legs and arms flailing, so Sonny reached up and switched on her mobile, hoping the rhythmic movement of the small, puppy figures and the soft music would calm her.

Turning his attention back to Amanda, he swept the hair back from her face and sound the source of the bleeding. A cut in her hair, above her ear. There was a bump too, indicating a head wound.

“Hey.” He leaned down and cupped her face, careful not to jostle her too much. “Come on ’Manda, open your eyes.”

They fluttered but didn’t open. Sonny sat back on his heels and peered around the door.

“Jesse, sweetie,” he called, assuming she had hidden, scared at what had happened to her mom. “It’s okay, I’m here now. Come on out.”

When there was no response, he rushed back to her room, pulling open her closet doors. He repeated the action in Amanda’s room and the cupboards in the kitchen.

There was nothing.

Sonny reached for his phone, a terrible thought occurring as he called for backup and a bus. Amanda was injured and unconscious. Where the hell was Jesse?


	2. Chapter 2

Across town, Olivia and Rafael were enjoying a quiet night in. Since his return to Manhattan on Thursday, he had been staying with her and Noah, much to the young boy’s delight. Rafael had done the school run on Friday to give Lucy time to catch up on some studying and the three of them had spent the weekend together. Friday night had been movie and ice-cream night, with Noah choosing _Ralph Wrecks the Internet._ On Saturday, they spent the day exploring the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, before Rafael, true to his word, took Olivia out on a date. Dinner and dancing, just like he’d promised.

After a lazy Sunday morning that involved far too many pancakes, Lucy watched Noah while Olivia went with Rafael to look at some apartments. Despite her assurances that he could stay with them for as long as he needed, he didn’t want to crowd them. They might be in a relationship now, but he felt it was a bit much for them to go from no contact at all to living in each other’s pockets. While Olivia might not necessarily agree with him, she understood his perspective, so played the dutiful girlfriend and trudged around apartments with him all afternoon. Rafael hadn’t liked any of them; they were a far cry from his old, Park Avenue condo, but he was still unemployed, and his limited savings wouldn’t stretch to anything like that again.

Monday morning dawned and life for Olivia and Noah returned to normal. Lucy took up the school run once more allowing Olivia to get into the office early to deal with the temporary ADA they had been assigned for new cases while Stone worked his notice tying up loose ends and getting his paperwork in order. While she was at the precinct, Rafael used his free day to continue his hunt for an apartment.

“How did it go today?” Olivia asked, returning to the living room after tucking Noah in for the night. It was early but after a busy weekend and an exciting day at school he’d almost fallen asleep in his spaghetti. Rafael had his laptop open on his knee and a glance over his shoulder as she approached told her he was browsing realtor websites. “Did you see anywhere you liked?”

“One or two,” he replied, “but they were a bit far out.” He didn’t want to be too far from Olivia’s; he wanted to be around to help out with Noah if she needed him. But there were other considerations too.  Maybe if any of them had been slightly nicer or cheaper he might have been persuaded to take one of them

“Well, there’s no rush,” she repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time that weekend as she curled up next to him on the sofa with the glass of wine Rafael had poured for her.

Rafael closed his laptop and returned it to its place on the coffee table. He leant back on the couch and raised his arm, a silent invitation for Olivia to lean in. She did, lying her head on his shoulder, and his arm dropped to anchor her to him. “Liv, we talked about this.”

“I know, and I understand your reticence but-,”

His fingers drew mindless patterns on her upper arm. “It’s not reticence it’s just… I want this relationship to last. I don’t want you to end up resenting my sudden presence in every aspect of your life.”

“That’s hardly likely to happen.” She couldn’t imagine ever being sick of the sight of him in her living room, her kitchen… her bed.

“You never know. When I have a job and am settled back into the swing of things here, we can talk about it again. I’m not saying never. Just not now.”

Olivia raised her hands in surrender. “Okay, I’ll drop it, but don’t take an apartment you don’t like. Please?”

“I won’t.” He picked up the television remote. “Next episode of House of Cards?” They’d discovered they had both been watching it while he’d been away but he had seen more episodes than her so he was trying to catch her up so they could move onto the next season together.

“Sounds good,” she agreed, taking a sip of her drink.

They were halfway through the first episode when her phone buzzed, almost vibrating off the end of the table.

“I didn’t think you were on call tonight?” Rafael asked, spotting Fin’s name on the caller display as he reached for the remote. He hit ‘pause’ as she picked up her phone.

“I’m not.” She swiped her finger across the screen. “Hey, Fin. What’s up?”

“What?” Rafael watched the colour drain from Olivia’s face. “I’ll be right there,” she said into the phone, before hanging up.

“Liv?” he asked.

“Th-that was Fin. Someone… someone’s taken Jesse.” She stood and looked around helplessly, trying to get her brain to function. “I… I gotta call Lucy.” 

Rafael shook his head and guided her towards the door. “Go. I’ve got Noah.”

“Y-you sure?” she asked, even as she slipped her feet into her shoes.

He nodded, holding her jacket out to her. “Amanda needs you. Jesse needs you.” He pecked her on the lips. “Go. We’ll be fine.” 

* * *

Olivia reached Amanda’s apartment to find several squad cars and an ambulance already parked in front of it. There were also several unmarked cars, she recognised Carisi’s and Fin’s among them. Her sergeant was talking to an EMT and she spotted the younger detective seated on the front steps of the building; Billie asleep in his arms. She jogged up the steps and crouched down in front of him.

“Carisi.” She touched his shoulder. “How’s Amanda?”

Sonny lifted his head slowly but did not look at her. His focus was on the ambulance where the subject of the conversation was being treated. “She’s conscious. They’re getting ready to take her to Bellevue,” he said quietly, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Did she say what happened?”

“A little. She said she was in Billie’s room when she heard a crash from the living room and Jesse scream. She went to see what was wrong but someone appeared in the doorway and whacked her with something. That’s all she really managed to get out before they got her in the bus.”

Olivia exhaled. She wanted to assure him that they would find Jesse, tell him to stay calm, but she knew – from recent personal experience – how hollow those words were.

“Liv,” Fin called. “Ambulance is gettin’ ready to go.”

Sonny looked between Olivia and the ambulance and she realised how torn he was. He didn’t know where he was supposed to be, or where he should be. He knew where he wanted to be, but he couldn’t be in two places at once.

“Go with Rollins, see if she remembers anymore. Take Billie with you; Rollins will want her close.”

“And when ’Manda wants to know why I’m not out looking for her daughter?” he asked dully. “Then what do I tell her?”

“Tell her I sent you. She can take it up with me. Go, Carisi. She’s going to need you.”

He nodded slowly and ran a hand through his hair. “I know. It’s just… who would do this…? How the hell did they get in? The door was locked when I arrived.”

“We’ll figure it out, Carisi.” Olivia stood up. “Now the ambulance is waiting to get out of here and we need to process the scene and start canvassing.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright.” He stood slowly, not wanting to disturb the sleeping child in his arms. He remained on the steps for a moment before he looked at his boss. “Find her.” His eyes burned intensely. He couldn’t put it into words, this gut-wrenching terror. He could barely breathe. It was like a heavy weight pressing down on his chest.

“We will,” Olivia said seriously. “We will find her.”

“Lieutenant Benson is right.” Chief Dodds had joined them. He stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at both of them. “SVU has all the resources they need. We will bring Detective Rollins’ daughter home.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Chief.” That was all Sonny said. They would find her, but would they find her in time? Would they be bringing home Jesse or a body bag?

Olivia and Dodds watched Sonny carry Billie down the steps and walk across to the ambulance. As the paramedics drove him and Rollins from the scene, they turned and entered the apartment building, followed by Fin.

“What have we got?” Olivia asked.

Fin strode past them, brimming with excess energy, almost vibrating with the need to do something. “We have Carisi’s statement,” he said. “Door was locked when he got here with dinner.” He gestured to the bag of discarded take-out in the kitchen. “There’s no sign of forced entry on the front door or any of the windows.”

“That’s not unexpected given that we’re six floors up,” Dodds commented.

“I’ve seen perps gain access to places higher than this,” Fin replied, barely holding in his eye-roll. The three of them moved together through the living room. “Carisi said that when he arrived the TV was on and a DVD was playin’.” Fin indicated the wide screen in the corner.

Dodds squinted at it, trying to work out how the brightly coloured characters were. “Whatever happened to Tom and Jerry?” he asked.

“It’s _Shimmer and Shine_ ,” Olivia informed him, trying to swallow the emotions in her throat. “Jesse’s current favourite.” When she had babysat Jesse and Billie the other week, she’d had to referee between the girl and Noah about what to watch. Her son had been aghast that his best friend, who had always loved Paw Patrol, would suddenly in be into something so girly. In the end, they’d compromised one episode each, Noah pouting throughout Jesse’s choice.

“The toys were the way they are now,” he continued, indicating the floor. CSU were stepping in and around the discarded playthings. “Kids are messy,” he shrugged. “Carisi said he could hear Billie cryin’ and assumed Rollins was with her. When he called out for Jesse there was no answer. He went looking for her and that’s where he found Rollins. In Billie’s room.”

Olivia slowly walked the path from the living room to the back of the apartment – the same one her detective had walked less than an hour ago – taking in every tiny little detail. She stepped over a unicorn plushie and skilfully avoided some Duplo bricks as she entered Billie’s room.

“Carisi found Rollins here,” Fin pointed to the spot on the floor where there were a few drops and smears of blood, “Unconscious and barely responsive.”

“We took prints from all the doors and window frames, just in case,” interrupted a crime scene tech. “Blood samples too. We’ll let you know if anything pops.”

Olivia nodded. “So, what the hell happened before Carisi got here?”

“From the bits and pieces we got from Rollins, she was puttin’ Billie down for the night when she heard Jesse scream from the livin’ room. She tried to run in, see what was happenin’ but was stopped in the hallway. There was a bit of an altercation…” he pointed to the smashed picture frame on the floor, clearly knocked from the wall, “and Rollins was clocked with somethin’. The perp then took Jesse and left Rollins injured and bleedin’.”

“How the hell did the bastards get in?” Dodds asked as they returned to the main area of the apartment. “Carisi is adamant that the door was locked when he got here.”

“That’s the million-dollar question.”

“It’s not the only one. Does anyone want to tell me why he has a key to Rollin’s apartment?”

Fin and Olivia exchanged a look. Neither of them really wanted to get into the details of their colleagues' relationship status, particularly as it would be purely speculative on their part. They all had keys to each other’s places in case of emergencies, but the fact that Sonny was bringing over dinner, would look bad to Dodds.

“With all due respect, Chief,” Olivia began, “I hardly think that’s important right now.” She looked back at Fin. “Could the perp have locked it on the way out to throw us off?” she asked, changing the subject.

Fin shrugged. “If he did and he left prints, we’ll know about it. But Amanda’s not one to leave her front door unlocked.”

“None of us are,” Olivia replied. They all knew the dangers. “But I’ve forgotten to lock my doors before now if I’m on the phone or Noah’s distracting me. We’ll ask Amanda when we take her statement.”

“If she did lock it, and there’s no other visible signs of forced entry then…”

“We have to assume whoever did this picked the lock,” Dodds added.

“Which means,” Olivia concluded, “that we’re looking at a professional, targeted attack.”


	3. Chapter 3

An Amber alert had gone out, with a description of Jesse and Olivia ordered a complete canvass of the building and neighbouring ones. Officers were also reviewing footage from every traffic camera between Rollins’ building and all major thoroughfares. It was a lot of manpower and overtime but Dodds authorised it all. This was one of their own that had been targeted and the NYPD wouldn’t rest until Jesse Rollins was back home.

Dodds had also signed off on a uniformed vehicle in front of her own building, and those of Fin’s son and Sonny’s sister. They had, only last week, sent a man to prison who had made clear threats again Noah and now the child of another member of her team had gone missing. Until they ruled out Rob Miller or any of his associates, Olivia wanted to err on the side of caution.

Dodds returned to the station to run point on the search while Olivia and Fin headed to Bellevue to interview Amanda – lights and sirens blaring. On the way, Olivia sent Rafael a text informing him of the protection in place for Noah. His response was instantaneous as if he’d been waiting for an update.

 

_Do you really think this is Miller?_

_________

_I don’t know. But until I know_  
_for sure it’s not, the squad car_  
_stays._

_________

_I get it. Don’t worry about Noah.  
He’s safe._

Attached was a picture of her son, sound asleep in his bed, Eddie the Elephant tucked under his side. As she looked lovingly at it, another message appeared.

 

_Eddie and I won’t let anything  
happen to him._

She knew the comment was intended to make her smile, and it did the job – for a moment at least.

 

 _Oh, so you and Eddie have_  
_formed a partnership now?_  
_What happened to ‘I_  
_never trusted that elephant’?_

_________

_What can I say?_  
_We’ve bonded this weekend_  
_over our mutual love of snacks._  
_How’s Rollins doing?_

She quickly typed back a response as Fin pulled into the hospital parking lot, tyres squealing as he rounded the bend.

 

_At Bellevue. Just on our way to speak  
to her now. I’ll keep you updated._

“Checkin’ in with Lucy?” Fin asked as they got out of the car.

“Oh, no. Lucy’s… err… she’s out of town. Noah’s with… someone else tonight.”

She hoped her sergeant didn’t notice her reluctance to disclose who was caring for her son. She didn’t like lying to her squad, but Rafael had only been back in town for three days and they hadn’t spoken about what to tell people. She had no problem with anyone knowing about their relationship. Her squad would probably say it was about damn time the two of them sorted themselves out. But she didn’t want to overwhelm Rafa. If she was honest, there was a tiny part of her that was scared he’d run again if he got spooked.

At Fin’s raised eyebrow, she quickly reassured him. “It’s okay. He’s safe. I trust his sitter.” Other than her detectives and Lucy, there was no one she trusted with her son more.

They met Sonny in the hallway outside Amanda’s hospital room, a disposable cup of coffee in his hand. “They did an MRI, we’re just waiting for the results,” he told them. “She’s awake but her memory’s pretty foggy. She’d definitely got a concussion, they’re just tryin’ to find out how bad.”

They followed Sonny into Amanda’s room and closed the door behind them. The nurses had provided a cot for Billie, who was still fast asleep, oblivious to all the drama. It was positioned at the side of the bed and Amanda’s fingers curled protectively around the edge. The detective sat up a little straighter when they entered. She clenched her jaw against the pounding in her head and the nausea that threatened.

Amanda looked up at them, eyes still glassy and a bit unfocused. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and sighed quietly. Her head was throbbing, and if she moved, the room threatened to tilt alarmingly around her. Placing his coffee on the table, Sonny sat on the gurney in front of her and took her free hand in his. She forced herself to focus on him. He was worried about her, she knew. She wouldn't let them put her in a gown, she had no intention of staying, and while she didn't want to be difficult, the sooner she was out of there, the better. She kept running over the encounter in her head, over and over again, and all she could think about were Jesse's high-pitched, frightened cries as she was carried away.

“Have you found her?”

“Not yet, but we’re doing everything we can.”

Sonny felt the shudder that ran through her at Olivia’s words and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She gripped it tightly, almost painfully but he wasn’t going to complain. Other than her confused mumblings as she came to at the apartment, they hadn’t talked about what happened yet. He was more worried about getting her checked out but, at the same time, he knew Olivia would want to talk to her about what happened, and he didn’t want Amanda having to relive more than once. His objectivity had gone out of the window. He knew he should have been taking notes, breaking her story down and informing the guys out there canvassing but he couldn't. He couldn't look into her frightened eyes and put her through that hell. Olivia would be the best person for that job. Olivia who had over twenty years experience in SVU and who gone through a similar thing not that long ago. She would be able to understand and empathise more.

“This is all my fault.” Amanda’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears. She took a thin, shuddering breath.

“No,” Sonny told her. “It’s not.”

“But I should have… I couldn’t.”

“’Manda, stop it. This is not on you.”

“Carisi’s right, Amanda,” Olivia interjected. “I understand all about blaming yourself, believe me. I did exactly the same, but this is not your fault. Someone came in, uninvited, and snatched Jesse. You had no way of knowing that was going to happen. Do you hear me?” Amanda nodded as her lieutenant continued. “Are you feeling up to answering a few questions?”

“Yeah, but everything’s still a bit sketchy.”

“We’ll take what we can for now and maybe go over it again in a few hours.”

She nodded and Fin pulled out his notepad as Olivia asked, “Can you tell us what you did after work?”

“I got home about five, greeted the kids, paid the sitter and saw her out. I fed them then we played for a bit. Jesse was building towers for Billie to knock over. I was about to start thinking about dinner when Carisi text and offered to bring take-out. When she heard her Uncle Sonny was coming over she wanted to stay up. I agreed, as long as she was ready for bed. So, I gave them both a bath and got them into their jammies. Billie started getting cranky, so I sat Jesse in front of the TV while I put her to bed.”

Fin stopped her there, holding up his pen. “Do you remember if you locked the front door after the sitter left?”

Amanda’s head inclined and she gave him a puzzled look. “I don’t know. Why?”

“Carisi told us he had to unlock the door when he arrived, but there’s no sign of forced entry. We’re just trying to establish how they got in,” Olivia explained.

“I don't…” She looked away, trying to recall. Everything was still so clouded. She remembered handing the sitter the money and closing the door behind her but then… nothing. “I don't know… I would assume I did – it’s habit.”

“Who else has keys to the apartment?” Liv asked.

“Me, Carisi, you two and the sitter.”

“And no one has lost or misplaced one recently?”

“No. Not that anyone’s told me.”

Fin looked at Liv. She pulled out her keys and quickly found the one to Amanda’s place, holding it up. “Mine’s right here and we know Carisi and Amanda have theirs. Let’s check with the sitter when we’re done here.”

“I’ve still for mine,” Fin confirmed, turning back to Amanda. “What happened in Billie’s room?”

“She was fussy, it was taking longer than usual to get her to sleep. I was about to take her out of the crib and back to the living room for a bit when I heard Jess scream.” She stopped. Her attention drifted.

Sonny watched what little colour Amanda had fade completely. He knew where she'd gone. Terror, abject terror, the kind he'd seen before. Cases like these didn't always have good results, the problem was, they knew that only too well. All of them did. How many of these had they worked? How many times had they not got the desired result?

He looked at Olivia, who pressed on with her questions, drawing Rollins back from the awful thoughts she knew she was thinking. “You didn’t hear anyone open the enter the apartment?

“No, but Billie was screaming.” She drew in a steadying breath before continuing. “I ran into the hallway to get to her, but a man stood there, blocking my path.”

“Did you see his face? Did he say anything?”

Amanda shook her head. “He wore a balaclava. He advanced on me, grabbed my arms and pushed me back into Billie’s room. I struggled, he pushed me into the wall and then he pulled…” Her eyes widened as she remembered. “He was armed. He had a gun. It's what he hit me with. Damnit.” How could she forget something so important?

They all moved at once. Fin had his phone out first to call it in. “I've got this.” He stepped into the hall to make the call.

“I’m sorry, I…” Amanda looked ready to get out of bed.

“You’ve got a concussion,” Olivia reminded her. “He hit you pretty hard. We know now, _that_ is what is important.”

She placed a shaking hand to her forehead, chewing on the corner of her bottom lip. “That's it, that's all I remember. He had a gun, and mine was locked up.”

“As it should have been. You have children in the house. You were off duty, you secured your weapon.”

“I shoulda been able to protect myself, protect Jesse.”

“You followed procedure, Amanda, just as we’ve all been taught to do. You can’t hold that against yourself.”

“Right.” She looked away from them. “Is there anything else that you need?”

“Just one more question. Have you noticed anyone new taking an interest in you or Jesse recently? Has anything strange happened?”

“No one new, no, but…” She looked down at lap.

“Amanda?”

“Declan showed up the other day… Friday, maybe… wanting to see Jesse.” She felt Sonny’s eyes boring into the top of her head, wondering why hadn’t told him about Jesse’s father showing up out of the blue.

“Wow,” Olivia breathed. “I… I didn’t know he was back in town.”

“Neither did I. He turned up on my doorstep completely out of the blue. He’s only seen Jess once since she was born. When she was about three months old.” She lifted her gaze to Sonny’s and saw the hurt there. “I didn’t let him in, Jesse doesn’t even know him. But I agreed to meet him at the park.”

“What did he want?” Sonny asked sharply. He knew he had no right to be as jealous as he was; he had no claim on Jesse or Billie. Or Amanda come to that. But he’d been in the girls’ lives since their birth, and Jesse’s father turning up after four years… he didn’t like it.

“He said he just wanted to see her. We met at the park on Saturday afternoon and I introduced him as a friend. He pushed her on the swings for a bit and bought her an ice-cream. Then he said he had to go, and he would be in touch. You don’t think… He wouldn’t take her, would he?”

Sonny and Olivia exchanged a look.

“I don’t know, Amanda.” Despite his time with SVU, Olivia didn’t know Declan Murphy that well. He’d been her rabbi when Lewis returned, but then she’d come across him again while investigating Johnny D and he’d admitted to buying and selling trafficked girls… Being undercover for a long time could do strange things to people. “He wouldn’t have been my prime suspect, but I have to say, showing up out of the blue, three days before Jesse goes missing is grounds enough for me to interview him.”         

Amanda nodded. “I don’t have his number…”

Olivia put a hand on Amanda’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Dodds’ll find him. He’s promised us whatever we need.”

“I’m honoured,” Amanda quipped dryly.

“We’ll keep you updated,” Olivia promised with a gentle squeeze to her friend’s shoulder, before joining Fin in the hallway.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. The end of the school year is always super busy. But only a week left now so hopefully I can get more writing done.

Back at the precinct, Olivia was having a hard time locating Declan Murphy. They had put in several calls to his division but had heard nothing back.

“His daughter has gone missing three days after he returns to her life… I want him in an interview room!” Olivia told Dodds fiercely as they stood in her office.

“I understand that, but there are protocols to follow.”

“A four-year-old is missing! Screw protocol.”

It had been hours and they hadn't had any leads. The team was chasing down every tip, working every angle but they knew all too well that the longer it took to find Jesse, the less likely they were to do so.

“Lieutenant, if you’re all too close to this, I can–“

Olivia took a steadying breath. “There’s no squad more qualified to run this investigation than us. I understand the procedure, but I really need to speak to Lieutenant Murphy.”

Dodds sighed. “I’ll speak to the Commissioner. See what I can do.”

“Thank you.”

When he’d gone, she walked to the window into the conference room, checking on Amanda. Her MRI had been clean, with just a concussion, and she had insisted that she be released from the hospital. Her head laceration didn't require stitches, and so after pressuring the ER physicians into agreeing, she was released. Her apartment was a crime scene and still full of uniformed officers and CSU technicians, so Sonny had tried to convince her to go back to his place. His words had fallen on deaf ears, however, and she had insisted that he take her and Billie to the precinct.

He’d text Olivia to give her a heads up and she’d ensured the conference room was free for their use and equipped with coffee and somewhere for Billie to sleep. Like he had when Noah had been taken, Dodds had insisted Amanda – as the victim's mother – was off the case so Olivia and Fin were trying to keep her away from the investigation as much as possible. Carisi was helping, sitting with her and Billie and running interference.

It seemed the stress of the day had finally caught up with her though, as she was curled up on the couch in the corner. Olivia watched as Sonny covered her with a blanket before returning to the table, leaning on his elbows and dropping his head to his hands. She noticed him clutching something between his fingers. A rosary. Of course, he would turn to his faith, it was what grounded him. She watched his hands shake as he fingered the delicate beads as he moved along the decades of the rosary, his lips moving as he muttered words that she was sure had been etched into his brain since childhood. She saw tears pool in his eyes as he lifted his gaze heavenward to plead with Mary for her intercession. To bring Jesse home safe, to bring Amanda comfort, to give the squad strength.

From her side of the glass, Olivia found herself adding her own prayers to his. She wasn’t particularly religious, but she did have a faith. One that she would turn to in times of suffering. She prayed for Jesse and Amanda but also for Sonny. She wanted to bring him some comfort too. But only when Sonny had finished and was re-pocketing his rosary, did she slip through the door.

He looked up as she entered. “Anything?”

She shook her head. “Not yet. Dodds is trying to get Declan here…” She saw him tense at the mention of the other man’s name and lay her hand on his back. “…and Fin is chasing up possible leads from the canvas.”

“I know Amanda’s not allowed to work the case, but is there anything I can do?”

“You’re doing more than you know just being with her.”

“Yeah, but that means you’re two men down.” He ground his teeth together. “Come on, Lieu, I need to feel useful.”

Olivia wavered for a moment but relented in the end. “Okay. But desk duty only. You’re too close to this for anything more.”

“We’re all too close to it.”

And wasn’t that the truth. She opened the door to the main squad room and led him to wear their tech guys had set up. “Go give the guys a hand wading through the traffic footage.”

* * *

A couple of hours later, Declan Murphy was in interrogation and his handler, Captain Morgan was pitching a fit in Olivia’s office.

“You can not just pull an active UC in whenever you feel like it, Lieutenant! You are risking two and a half years of work here.”

“With all due respect, Captain, we have a missing child.”

“And what exactly does that have to do with Lieutenant Murphy?

“You mean apart from the fact it’s his daughter?” Fin asked.

Captain Morgan flipped open the manila folder he was carrying. “His personnel jacket doesn’t show any dependents.”

“Probably because he’s barely seen her since she was born.” Sonny, who had been listening as he hovered in the doorway, strode in, his face like thunder.

“Let me assure you, Captain” Dodds interjected, “we’re sensitive to Lieutenant Murphy’s undercover operation. As soon as we’re done with him, he’ll be released.”

“If you screw up this investigation, I’m having all your badges.” He huffed out of Olivia’s office, Dodds chasing after him to placate him.

Sonny turned to the two-way mirror into interrogation, bracing himself on the frame. Olivia could see the muscles in his back tense beneath his shirt. “He talking?”

“We’ve not spoken to him yet. Lettin’ him stew for a while,” Fin filled him in. Declan had arrived while Sonny was in the bathroom, thankfully postponing the confrontation that Olivia knew was certain to happen. “Don’t worry. He’ll be squealin’ like a pig soon enough.”

“You get anything from the traffic footage?” Olivia asked him.

Sonny shook his head. “Not yet. It’s like a needle in a haystack. We don’t even know what, if anything, the perp was driving.”

“Well, keep at it.” He was right, it was unlikely to bear fruit without further information, but it would give him some sense of purpose.

He pointed at the interrogation window. “I wanna go at this guy.”

Olivia exhaled slowly. She’d seen this request coming. “Yeah, that’s not happening, Carisi.”

“Lieu–”

She held up a hand to silence him. “If Declan ends up having something to do with Jesse’s disappearance, we don’t want to give him any grounds for suppression of evidence or appeal.” She motioned for Fin to give them a minute alone. “You were right before when you said we were all too close to this. We’re all hurting, but I think it’s more personal for you, isn’t it?” When Sonny averted his eyes and let out a deep breath, she continued. "I told you when Billie was born, I know what it’s like to get close to someone you work with. And I know how tough it is when they’re in pain.”

She’d thought it had been bad with Elliot; when he’d been in hospital or hurting, she’d been unable to focus on anything else. But that was nothing compared to the deep-rooted sense of fear and panic she had felt when Rafael had been on trial. She knew exactly how Sonny was feeling; he just wanted to do everything in his power to fix it. To take away Amanda’s suffering. Just as she had wanted to do with Rafael.

Sonny sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. I just want Jesse home.”

“We all do. But what I need you to do right now is trust me. Trust me and Fin to get this guy, alright?”

He nodded, walking out of her office, back to his desk but he stopped in the doorway turning back to face her. “FYI, there’s no one I trust more, Lieu. No one.”

“Good to know.” She followed him of her office, stopping by Fin’s desk. “You ready?”

He stood, tugging on the lapels of his jacket. “Let’s nail this guy.”

* * *

"Does one of you want to tell me what the hell is going on?” Declan stood as Olivia and Fin entered interrogation. “You pull me out of some very important business dealings in the middle of the night, almost blowing my cover and–”

“You almost blew your own cover.” Olivia slid surveillance videos from Declan’s meeting with Amanda and Jesse at the park across the table to him. “Does your Captain know you visited Rollins while you were under?”

He tried to maintain his composure, but Olivia saw a flicker in his eyes. The answer was clearly a no. He picked up one of the photos. “What’s this about? Has Amanda made a complaint? She was more than willing to let me see my daughter. I thought I taught you better than to waste your time on frivolous accusations.”

“I don’t think a missing child is ‘frivolous’.”

Declan dropped the photo back to the table. “Missing? Jesse’s missing?”

“Snatched from her home about six hours ago.”

Realisation dawned on Declan’s face. “And you think I took her?”

“Well, you’ve got to admit the timing is… convenient. You show up for the first time in 3 and a half years and then two days later, she disappeared.”

“You know we don’t believe in coincidences,” Fin added, pushing off from the wall he’d been leaning against.

“I didn’t take Jesse.” He sat down again, toying with the edge of the surveillance photos. “Why would I?”

“Maybe you didn’t like it when Amanda told you she didn’t want you around Jesse?” Fin offered. Amanda hadn’t indicated there had been any cross words between the two of them, but Fin wasn’t above pushing the guy's buttons.

Declan scoffed. “She said nothing like that. In fact, she seemed to be open to the idea of me being more involved in Jess’s life.”

To Sonny, who had been stood at the two-way mirror, Declan’s use of Jesse’s nickname was a step too far. He burst through the door, grabbed Declan by the neck and hauled him out of his chair. “Where is she? Where’s Jesse? What have you done with her, you piece of shit?”

“Carisi!” Olivia yelled as Fin moved to pull him away. “Leave him alone.”

The detective was in full temper, hot-headed and not listening. He had Declan up against the wall before Fin managed to wrestle him off. Luckily, the sergeant got in there before Sonny did any serious damage. He held him back as Olivia checked on Declan.

Satisfied that he was okay, she resumed her questions. “Where were you between six-thirty and seven yesterday evening?”

“In a brothel in Queens.”

“Anyone verify that?”

“Not without blowing my cover.”

Sonny pulled against Fin’s hold, trying to get at Declan. “Your little girl is out there somewhere and you’re going to hide behind your cover?” he growled, lunging forward.

“Get him out of here!” Olivia ordered Fin before turning to Declan. “Sit! I’ll be back.”

She followed Fin as he wrestled Sonny out into the corridor. Sonny shrugged out of Fin’s hold as it loosened and stalked off, slamming into the break room. He shoved a chair out of his way and watched with a small amount of satisfaction as it skidded across the small room. He couldn’t believe the nerve of that man, showing up after all this time, acting like a doting father. He felt another surge of anger and slammed his fist into the table.

“Enough!” Olivia stood just inside the door, Fin nearby in case he was needed. “What the hell was that Carisi?” she asked.

“The bastard won’t talk. I thought I could persuade him.”

“Your persuasion tactics could put the whole case in jeopardy!” she sighed. “You said you trusted us.”

“I do, but–”

“What’s goin’ on?” A half-asleep Amanda entered, running her fingers through her tousled hair, trying to tame the blonde locks.

“It’s nothin’ ’Manda. Go back to Billie.”

Not satisfied with Sonny’s answer, the blonde turned to Fin.

“Declan is here,” he told her. “In interrogation. Carisi was just expressin’ his displeasure at his attitude.”

She looked at Olivia, hope in her eyes. “Has he got Jesse? Does he know anything?”

“He says not, but he won’t give us an alibi. Claims it will blow his cover.”

Amanda paused for a moment before taking a deep breath. “Let me speak to him.”

Olivia considered her request. It would be a lot harder for Declan to refuse to answer Amanda or lie to her face, but Dodds would have her head if he found out she’d allowed Amanda access to the investigation. She took a breath. “You can have five minutes.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry for the delay in updating this. I have no excuses... just a plea for forgiveness and a promise to try harder in future.

While Amanda took a few moments to freshen up, Olivia retreated to her office to check in with Rafael. It was a ridiculously early hour of the morning, but she didn’t think he’d mind. He was likely awake, as worried about Jesse as everyone else. Despite his reputation, he was actually good with children – patient and caring – and Jesse, like Noah, had possessed the ability to wrap him around her little finger.

He picked up after two rings.

“Hey! How’s it going?”

“Slow. The only lead we’ve got is refusing to cooperate.” She proceeded to fill him in about Declan’s return and his response to being brought in. “I’m going to let Amanda talk to him.”

“You need answers. If Rollins can get him to talk…”

She rubbed a hand over her face. “Dodds’ll go mad.”

“Not when there’s a picture of Amanda and Jesse reunited on every front page in the city. NYPD needs a win right now. Besides, who says Dodds has to know.”

She could almost picture the smirk on his face as he said those words. Talking to him had reassured her that she was taking the correct course of action. She’d missed this, their professional discourse, bouncing ideas around with him. She was glad that seemed to be something she could still do now he was back – even though they no longer worked together.

“I’m probably not going to get out of here tonight,” she told him. “Are you okay with Noah or do you want me to call Lucy?”

“It’s okay. I’ve nowhere else to be.” He paused. “I’ll get him ready in the morning for Lucy to take to school. Do you want me to tell him? It’s all over the news and it’s likely parents and teachers will be talking about it.”

That hadn’t occurred to Olivia. When Amanda was looking at Pre-Ks for Jesse, she’d asked for her boss’s opinion on Noah’s school and after Olivia had given her a favourable review, she’d decided to enrol her daughter in their Pre-K programme.

“Shit. I hadn’t thought about that. I’d rather him not know.”

“Right,” Rafael agreed. “You want to protect him from the evils of the world. I’ll keep him away from the TV and ask Lucy to do the same and hope for the best. Noah may never have to know.”

“Thanks, Rafa.”

“Anytime. Try and get some rest if you can.”

“I’ll rest when Jesse is home.” At her words, Amanda appeared in her doorway. She’d tidied her hair and applied a bit of make-up, but she still looked tired and drawn. “Look, I’ve gotta go. I’ll keep you in the loop.”

“I know. I love you.”

She couldn’t help but smile at his words. “Same.” She wanted to repeat his words but was conscious of her detective’s presence in her office.

Hanging up, she stood and rounded her desk. She perched on the corner, regarding Amanda carefully. “You sure you want to do this?”

“What I want is to be at home with my kids, both of them, safely tucked up in bed. I don’t _want_ to do this, any of it; I _have_ to do this.” She lifted her head, eyes pale with fear. “I just… I can’t help thinking about the what-ifs.”

Her doubts were getting the better of her and she was terrified. She tried to ignore them, to outthink them, to put her logical thought processes back in order. It wasn't working. The harder she grasped at the indifference, the farther away it seemed to slip. Her mind wouldn't stop rotating through every worst-case scenario. It was replaying case after case that they'd dealt with involving missing children. Trying to hold on to the detective inside her wasn't helping her in the least. It was only making it worse. She felt as though she were flailing, lost in a sea of doubt and fear.

Olivia stepped in front of her, placing her hands on her colleague’s shoulders as she spoke. “We will find her.” She locked gazes with Amanda until the younger woman nodded. “Where’s Carisi?”

“He’s with Billie. He’s… struggling. Not just with this situation, but with Declan too. He...”

Olivia held up her hand to silence Amanda before she said something that, as her commanding office **r** , she would have to report or discipline.

“Right now, I’m your lieutenant rather than your friend. If what you’re about to say is going to pose a personnel issue, you might want to stop talking.”

“Sorry. We’ve not… I mean, there’s nothing happening between us, so don’t worry.”

Olivia wanted to scream ‘why?’ at her, but she was trying to maintain an air of professionalism to allow her to focus on the case. Still, she couldn’t deny that it was obvious to anyone who spared them more than a passing glance that there was a connection between them, and that they would be good together. She could only hope she and Rafael hadn’t been as obvious.

Instead of questioning her detective’s romantic decisions, she returned to the task at hand and moved towards the door to interrogation. Her hand on the doorknob, she turned back to Amanda. “Shall we?”

* * *

Declan looked up as Olivia re-entered. “Ready to let me go yet?” he asked. “I need to be–” He stopped as he spotted Amanda following behind. “Amanda.” He stood and moved to step towards her.

“Don’t.” She stood hands folded and he got the message, sinking back into his chair.

“I didn’t take her, Amanda. You have to believe me. Why would I?”

“What about the people you’re infiltrating?” She, like everyone, had been focused on Declan but from a different angle. She couldn’t bring herself to believe that he would take Jesse. Not out of any sense of trust or loyalty, but because of his lifestyle and inexperience with children. It just didn’t fit. But the people who he was undercover with, they were dangerous people. If they’d made him as a police officer, who knows what they would do in revenge.

“I…”

Olivia caught on to Amanda’s thought process and pushed. “You did break cover to visit Jesse, right?”

His shoulders slumped. “Yes,” he admitted. “I saw you at a coffee shop one morning… with Jesse and Carisi and a baby.”

“Billie,” Amanda informed him. “My youngest.”

“With that mouse job?”

“That’s none of your business. You were saying?”

“I saw how much she’d grown.”

It was on the tip of Amanda’s tongue to comment that that’s what happens, especially after three and a half years, but she managed to hold it back. Despite his initial promises that he wasn’t going to walk away, he hadn’t been an active part of Jesse’s life. He’d barely even been a passive one. He’d not contributed financially, not that Amanda had asked him to – she made the decision to keep Jesse and was prepared to take on all the responsibilities that came with that. He’d still been deep undercover in Serbia when she’d given birth, so she’d sent him a photo to the number he’d given her telling him her name and weight but had also told him not to compromise his UC work by hightailing it back to New York. He’d shown up four months later when he came in from the cold, after finally bringing down the sex trafficking ring only to tell her, after meeting Jesse, that he’d gotten another assignment and would be leaving again within the next month. When he couldn’t say how long he’d be gone, Amanda had politely suggested that maybe it was best if he didn’t come around again until he was in a more stable position, when he’d been more than welcome. She didn’t want Jesse to get attached to him just for him to be in and out of her life. When he’d appeared on her doorstep the previous week, she had thought he was done and able to be around. He hadn’t mentioned being undercover.

“We agreed that you wouldn’t be in her life until you were able to be around more,” she reminded him. “And you were more than happy with that arrangement.” Honestly, he’d seemed relieved that she wasn’t asking him to commit or settle down and give up his job.

“She’s like her own little person now,” he continued, “…and I realised what I’d been missing out on. I wanted…”

“ _You_ realised what _you’d_ missed out on. _You_ wanted to be more involved. When you’re a parent it can’t be about _you_. It’s about what’s best for your child,” Amanda told him., leaning forward on the table opposite him. “And you put your child – _my_ child – in danger because of your own selfishness.”

“I wasn’t followed, Amanda, I made sure no one saw me and–”

Declan’s cell phone, which was sat on the table in front of him, sprang to life, vibrating across the metal surface. He glanced down at the caller display. “It’s my boss.”

Olivia raised an eyebrow. “I assume you don’t mean Captain Morgan.”

He shook his head.

“Put it on speaker.”

Declan swiped across the screen and quickly hit the speaker icon. “Hello?”

“Mr O’Donnell,” a gruff voice greeted, “or should I say, Lieutenant Murphy.”

As Declan’s face blanched, Olivia looked heavenward in exasperation. It was as Rollins suspected; his cover was well and truly blown. So much for not being followed. And if they knew his real identity…

The voice came over the line once more, confirming Olivia’s worst fears. “We have something of yours.”

* * *

Once it was confirmed the kidnappers were from the gang Declan had been infiltrating, SVU got to work on trying to locate them and Jesse. The caller had told them to sit tight and they would make further contact shortly. TARU tried to trace the call but it had originated from a burner cell – one of a batch stolen from the back of a delivery truck several months previously.

Captain Morgan wound up his undercover operation, making several dozen arrests for various crimes and interrogating them for information about Jessie in return for possible deals on their charges. While they waited for any leads, the squad worked with TARU, using license plate recognition software to run all the traffic camera footage against vehicles known to the gang.

Around 5.30 am, they got a hit. A black, 2009 Honda Accord was seen within the vicinity for a significant period of time before the kidnapping and then speeding away around the time they suspected Jesse had been taken. Once they had cross-checked all the details, an updated Amber alert was issued to include the vehicle’s details.

Rafael had just sat Noah down at the breakfast bar with his bowl of Cheerios and turned around to get him a glass of orange juice when his phone beeped loudly on the counter. He knew that tone, it was the one set for Amber alerts. He turned around to try and get to it before Noah, but he was too late, his restless night slowing his reflexes. Noah already had the phone in his hand, his eyes wide as he read the notification.

“Uncle Rafa! Why does your phone say Jesse is missing?!”


	6. Chapter 6

Rafael braced himself on the counter. So much for keeping Noah in the dark about Jesse. Olivia was going to kill him. He plucked the phone from Noah’s hand and read the updated alert. A vehicle description and license plate – it seemed they were making some progress. He hadn’t spoken with Olivia this morning yet, in case she was getting some much needed – and well deserved – rest.

“Uncle Rafa!” Noah repeated, urgently. “Is Jesse okay?”

Sighing, Rafael rounded the breakfast bar and took a seat on the stool next to Noah, turning it to face him. He reached across the counter and took Noah’s hand.

“Jesse _is_ missing, Noah,” he confirmed. There was no point lying to him now he’d seen the Amber alert. He was a smart kid. But at the same time, he tried to shield him from the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. “But your _mami_ and the squad are working really hard to find her.”

“I can help,” he replied. “I’m good at finding her when we play hide and go seek. I know all her favourite hiding spots.”

Rafael smiled at his innocence, reaching up to ruffle his hair. “That’s very kind of you, but your _mami’s_ got it covered, mi amigo.”

“But I want to help. Please, Uncle Rafa! She’s my best friend.”

Rafael made a note to remind him of that the next time the two of them were arguing over what to play or what to watch on the television, but he refrained from voicing his thoughts. Instead, he said, “I’ll make you a deal, you finish your breakfast while I check in with your _mami_ and then, you and I will come up with some ways to help okay?”

Noah nodded. “Does this mean I don’t have to go to school?”

“We’ll see what your _mami_ says.” He patted the counter. “Come on, eat up.”

While Noah tucked into his Cheerios, Rafael retreated to the back of the apartment, far enough away that he’s out of earshot from Noah but close enough so he could still keep an eye on him. The phone rang out several times before Olivia answered.

“’Lo?”

Rafael winced - she had been asleep. “Hey, sorry to wake you.”

“S’okay,” she mumbled, sitting up on the cot in the crib.

“Have you managed to get any sleep?”

She ran a hand over her face, clearing the sleep from her eyes. “An hour or two, maybe. But I’ll be okay. I told you, I’ll sleep when Jesse’s home. What do you need?”

“Noah knows about Jesse.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I left my phone on the counter, he saw the updated Amber alert.”

“It’s not your fault Rafa. Is he okay?” It hadn’t been that long since Sheila had taken him and, although she was sure it hadn’t been as bad as what Jesse was experiencing, she didn’t want this to trigger his nightmares again.

Leaning against the wall, Rafael allowed himself a small, sad smile as he relayed Noah’s reaction to Olivia. “He wants to come help. Says he knows all of Jesse’s favourite hiding places.”

Olivia’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, my sweet boy.”

“He’s a good kid who’s worried about his friend,” Rafael agreed, pausing a moment before asking, “What do you want to do about school?”

Olivia considered Rafael’s question. Noah had already been absent several times this year and she could just imagine the disapproving tone in the secretary’s voice if she called to say he would be off again. But she knew he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on his lessons while worrying about Jessie. Keeping him home with Rafael also meant that she would know he was safe.

“Let him stay home today,” she decided. “I’ll call the school. But try to keep him busy, please.”

“I’m sure between us, Lucy and I can manage that.”

“I’ll call her too. Let her know about the change in plans.”

“Okay. Keep in touch, yeah?”

“I will.”

After hanging up with Rafael, Olivia called Lucy and then Noah’s school, thankfully getting the answerphone and therefore avoiding having to speak to the administrator. She was just finishing her message when the door flew open and Fin burst in.

“Murphy’s got another call from the perp.”

Olivia quickly ended the call and rushed after Fin out into the squad room where Sonny and Amanda – with Billie in her arms – were crowded around Fin’s desk listening to the call while a tech from TARU attempted to trace it.

“Listen to me very carefully, Lieutenant Murphy. If you want to see your kid alive again, you’ll do exactly what we ask.”

“I’m listening.”

“There’s a gun in the NYPD evidence locker. It was used in a robbery on West 85th Street last year where a bodega owner died. You’re going to get it for us. Oh, and $75,000. We’ll be in touch with further instructions.

Olivia urgently scrawled ‘ _PROOF OF LIFE’_ on the legal pad that lay on the desk and thrust it towards Declan.

“Wait! I’ll need proof that she’s alive and unharmed.”

The sound of rustling came over the line and moments later the phone vibrated on the table, a message notification popping up at the top of the screen. Declan clicked on it and the screen flicked to a picture, showing Jesse huddled in a corner, clutching the small white bunny that she had been carrying when she had been taken.

“There you go, she’s fine,” the voice said. “Get us the gun and the money and she’ll stay that way,” they added before the line went dead.

Olivia looked at the tech, but he shook his head lightly. They had no trace.

Amanda, clutching Billie tightly to her chest, looked around askance. “What are we going to do? I don’t have that kind of money!” She turned her face into Sonny’s shoulder and his arm curled instinctively around her.

“I can get it,” Declan said, pocketing his phone.

“Y-you can?” Amanda asked, hope in her eyes.

Sonny regarded Declan for a moment. “Being buying and selling girls again?”

“I do what I have to do to keep up my cover.”

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Sonny continued. “I should report you to 1PP. We’re supposed to protect people not-”

“Sonny,” Amanda placed a hand on his chest, feeling the tension there. “I don’t care where the money comes from if it gets Jesse home…”

“Besides, it’s not like we’re just going to give ’em the money and let ’em get away,” Fin pointed out. “Right, Liv?”

“Not a chance in hell. Get me all the details on that robbery they mentioned, we need to come up with a plan.”

* * *

By 11 am, they had it all worked out. They had a replica of the gun that was in evidence – bagged and tagged for authenticity – and Fin had accompanied Declan to his place to retrieve the money. It was all ready. Now it was a waiting game until the kidnappers made contact again or something popped in their investigation.

Waiting wasn’t something the squad was particularly good at. They took turns in entertaining Billie, the baby providing a welcome distraction from the worry of the situation. Olivia had offered to have Lucy come and collect her but Amanda, understandably, didn’t want to let her youngest out of her sight.

Between bouts of babysitting, they continued to chase down leads on the kidnappers. They may have been waiting on them to make the next move, but that didn’t mean they had to be idle. They were still manning the phones for the Amber alert, TARU were working on the phone call and the image and they were trying to trace the car.

Olivia was going over Declan’s financials – to triple check he wasn’t involved in setting the whole thing up – but her mind kept drifting back to Jesse; wondering is she was alright and willing the phone to ring. After reading the same line of one bank statement for the fifth time, she decided a break, and possibly some sugar, was in order. She glanced at the clock, 2 pm – she’d missed lunch. She didn’t really feel like eating, but she knew she needed something to keep her going.

She was just on her way back to her office, bottle of water and Hershey bar in hand when a shout of “Mom!” echoed through the squad room. Olivia’s head snapped up to see Noah running towards her, a piece of paper fluttering in his hand.

“Noah!” Bending down to hug him, she looked over her shoulder and saw a sheepish-looking Rafael following behind carrying several bags.

“I made a list of Jesse’s favourite hiding places.” Pulling back from his mother’s embrace, he handed her the piece of paper he’d been carrying, the bottom all crumpled from where he’d been holding it tightly in his fist. “Make sure you check them all th…thor… thoro…” His brow furrowed as he tried to remember the big word that Rafael had used earlier that day.

“Thoroughly?” Olivia prompted.

Noah nodded. “Yeah, thoroughly. Jesse’s really good at hiding. Sometimes it takes me forever to find her.”

Olivia blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. “I will do that. Why don’t you go and wait in my office?” she said, handing the boy her water and chocolate. “Put those on my desk, okay.”

Noah nodded and skipped off, catapulting himself into his mom’s swivel chair. Olivia stood and greeted Rafael. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He held up the bags. “We brought food. Arroz con pollo, fried plantains and salad. it was my abuelita’s recipe. I figured you guys could use something other than pizza and vending machine snacks.”

 _Guess that explains who was watching Noah last night_ , thought Fin who had been watching their whole exchange with a curious look. _I wonder when he got back… and if Rita knows._ He made a mental note to text his girlfriend to alert her to the fact that her friend and former classmate was back in town. He took the bags from Rafael. “Long time no see, counsellor,” he greeted, before heading to the breakroom to unpack it. “Hey Noah,” he called. “Wanna help me with all this?”

Noah slowed his spinning to a stop and slid off the chair, taking a moment to recover from his dizziness before running after Fin.

Standing in the squad room, fifteen months after he had last done so, Rafael looked around, appraising the familiar surroundings. His brow furrowed as his eyes fell on one of the shelves. “The snacks have moved.”

Olivia shook her head lightly. _That man and his snacks!_ “Well you know what they say, nothing changes, except what has to.” She glanced back at Fin and Noah unpacking the containers of food. “For example, apparently you now cook.”

“I could always cook; I just never had the time before.” He shrugged. “Besides, it kept Noah occupied – he’s quite the sous-chef.” His eyes drifted to the board, Jesse’s picture front and centre surrounded by a web of CCTV images and other potential leads. “Any progress?”

“A little. But we have a plan; we’re just waiting on another call from the perp.” She took his hand and gave it a small tug. “Let’s grab some food and I’ll catch you up.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't hurt me! I promise to make it right! 
> 
> This was just a short chapter to get us started, but the rest will be longer.


End file.
